


Here

by beeche241



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24994066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beeche241/pseuds/beeche241
Summary: If Emily had been the one to be with JJ when she was shot in 15x02.
Relationships: Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/Emily Prentiss
Comments: 6
Kudos: 120





	Here

“JJ, what’s your location?”

Emily’s heart thumped in her chest, adrenaline coursing through her veins, as Rossi and Luke raced after the car.

“JJ, do you copy?”

Silence on the other end.

“JJ?” Emily repeated, more urgently this time.

She drew her gun and sprinted towards the parking garage.

 _Shit. No. No, no, no._ A blond body on the ground, a red pool of blood quickly growing around her.

“It’s okay,” Emily breathed, saying words she didn’t quite believe. “It’s okay, I got you.”

The slightest whimper as JJ nodded, eyes straining to focus on Emily’s face.

“You’re gonna be okay. Just stay with me, okay?” Emily’s hand trembled as she applied pressure to the bullet wound on JJ’s side. “Stay with me and keep breathing.”

JJ opened her mouth as if to respond, but the blood in her lungs prevented any words from coming out.

Emily took a breath to compose herself before reaching for her radio. “JJ’s down, she’s been hit. We need an ambulance now.”

Her attention back to the agent in front of her, Emily watched as JJ’s eyes began to close.

“No, JJ, no, no, no. Just hang on. Come back to me, JJ.”

Emily’s eyes squeezed shut, the scene in front of her too painfully reminiscent of a horrible nightmare she had once had of JJ bleeding out before her. But no, this time was real, and she could feel the blood in her hands.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

Emily barely noticed when the paramedics peeled her away from JJ’s body and guided her to the back of the ambulance.

Still she repeated, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

* * *

_…airway’s unstable…_

_Gunshot wound…upper torso…_

_Pulse is thready…_

_…stats are dropping…_

_…she’s crashing…_

Emily could barely think. All she could do was follow the gurney and stare ― stare at the whirlwind of activity, the tubes and machines, the strangers that surrounded JJ.

A long beep.

A terrible silence, then…

_…I got a heartbeat…_

“Are you her family?”

The question snapped Emily back into reality, and she blinked to find a doctor looking her up and down.

“No, I-,” Emily stopped, uncertain how to explain. JJ had changed her emergency contact to Emily shortly after she and Will had separated, and Emily loved her dearly, but it wasn’t as if…

“Well you better call her loved ones here quick.”

A knot formed in Emily’s throat. _I love her. I’m here._

* * *

And a few days later, when JJ was cleared to go home, Emily was right there by her side still.

“Em, I’m fine,” JJ complained, shifting in her seat.

“Mmhmm. I’ll start believing you when you stop wincing every time the wheelchair hits a bump,” Emily retorted.

“If this is how you push a wheelchair, I don’t want you driving me home,” JJ grumbled.

“Oh no, I’m not taking you to your home,” Emily said, as they stopped by her car. “You just got shot, and there’s no way in hell I’m leaving you home alone after that.”

JJ gaped, ready to complain again. “I’m not alone, I’ve got-“

“Yes, I’m sure Henry and Michael will be extremely helpful with making you meals and carrying heavy items for you,” Emily interrupted. “And I’ve called Will already. He knows you miss them, so he’ll stop by with the boys tomorrow, but he doesn’t mind taking them for however long it takes for you to heal.”

JJ looked down at her lap, her hands fidgeting nervously. “Thank you. You didn’t…you don’t have to do all this.”

Emily’s face softened. She opened the car door and began helping JJ into her seat. It wasn’t until Emily was firmly seated in the driver’s seat that she responded.

“I just wonder if I had listened to Rossi, if I could’ve stopped this from happening. When I saw you lying there, when your heartbeat stopped ― I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you,” Emily forced herself to look into JJ’s eyes as her hands tightened around the steering wheel. “I’m sorry, JJ. I’m so sorry this happened.”

“Emily, you know this wasn’t your fault,” JJ said softly. “You can’t blame yourself for this. And we’ll get Lynch, I know we will.”

“I know.” And Emily had never been more sure of anything in her life. She would do anything to take down the man that had dared to hurt JJ.

* * *

It was almost dark when they arrived at Emily’s, and JJ had long since fallen asleep in the car. Emily looked over at her sleeping friend, her expression peaceful and lips just parted, barely made out in the dim glow of the streetlights. She could’ve stayed there forever.

“Jayje, we’re here,” Emily reached over to gently shake the blond awake.

The two shuffled up to the house, with JJ’s arm slung around Emily and Emily clutching her friend carefully but tightly, vowing in her head to never let go again.

“Do you want to shower? Get the hospital stench off of you?”

JJ shook her head slightly. “I just want to sleep,” she sighed, lifting herself from Emily’s arms. They suddenly felt empty without her.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

“The couch?” JJ gestured, confused. The couch was, after all, the place she always passed out after every good old-fashioned girl’s night with Emily and Garcia.

“Uh-huh. Listen, I don’t know if you remember this,” Emily said, a slight smile on her face, “but you were just shot pretty recently, so you’re taking the bed.”

JJ smiled gratefully, then moved towards the bedroom. She lowered herself onto the edge of the bed and paused. “Ah, they said, um, I’m supposed to change my bandages when I get home today.”

“Okay. Um, I can get some fresh bandages, and soap and water, and…” Emily trailed off. JJ was refusing to meet her gaze, instead staring intently at the hardwood floor.

“No, they gave me everything I’d need,” JJ gestured to her purse.

“Okay. Then what’s wrong?” Emily sat beside JJ on the edge of the bed.

“Could you…” JJ’s voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t think I can do it.”

Emily looked down at JJ’s hands, which were shaking furiously.

“Yeah, I got it, Jayje. I’m here,” she murmured, clasping the trembling hands within her own.

Emily knelt to the floor and drew JJ’s purse close.

“I’m gonna lift your shirt now, okay?” Emily said softly.

JJ’s hands gripped the edge of the bedframe as she nodded, her eyes trained on the opposite corner of the bedroom.

Emily drew in a breath as she removed the bandage, revealing the surgical sutures from the gunshot wound alongside an older, large electrical burn from Askari’s torture years before.

“Not my best side,” JJ said with a small laugh. Emily looked up, and JJ finally met her gaze, the bitter smile fading away until Emily could only see the pain and hurt in her eyes.

She cleaned and dressed the wound in silence, fingers dancing delicately around JJ’s scars. No words could comfort the years of trauma their team had had to face. It was her gentleness and presence that spoke a strong, quiet promise: _I’m here for you._

Emily helped JJ into bed. She knew from the many BAU hotel stays that JJ slept best on her side, curled up, and that it would be a challenge for her not to be able to toss and turn onto her injured side in the night.

“Do you need anything else?” Emily asked quietly, standing by the door, her hand over the light switch.

“Will you stay?”

The question caught her by surprise.

“I-I just mean,” JJ stuttered, “you once said when you coded, you felt cold and dark. Mine felt…I felt cold and alone. And I…will you stay with me?”

Emily answered by crawling into the bed besides JJ and carefully draping her arm around the smaller agent.

“Of course. I’m here. I’ll always be here.”


End file.
